Marvel and MFORMA have joined together to bring Marvel’s formidable cast of characters to mobile games, mobile comicbooks, graphics, wallpapers, ringtones and voice tones. ™ & © 2004 Marvel Characters Inc. All rights reserved.

An increasing number of animation, comicbook and interactive game licensors are exploring the possibilities within the wireless data market, both as a means of marketing their properties and as a new distribution channel for content. Meanwhile, animated applications — motion-based screensavers, ringtones, games and clips — are a growing component of mobile content for all types of brands.

While games and ringtones are two of the most popular mobile content categories overall, there are a wide range of possible applications, including wallpapers, screensavers, ringbacks, text and multimedia messaging, lifestyle content, etc. “We try to create as wide a variety of content as possible,” says Matthew Feldman, president/ceo of Versaly, which develops programs for SquirrelWorks’ Coz/Effect and Fairview High Web comics (represented by JINdesign), newspaper comic strips such as Garfield, Ziggy and Cathy (through Go Comics), and other brands. “We take a narrow approach to content acquisition, but a diverse approach to mobile content.”

Creating a Destination
One of the broadest mobile efforts to date is Marvel’s just-announced deal with MFORMA to create content based on all of Marvel’s 5,500 characters (except Punisher, which is under a preexisting deal with another publisher). Mobile games will be a key category; other applications will include mobile comicbooks, greeting cards, graphics, wallpapers, ringtones and voice tones, several types of games, phone functions, virtual character simulations and community and lifestyle applications. MFORMA will gather all this content onto a Marvel mobile channel.

“The objective is to create one destination where fans can immerse themselves in anything and everything Marvel,” says Tim Rothwell, president of Marvel’s worldwide consumer media group. “It’s a saturated, cluttered, competitive marketplace and it’s difficult to create an awareness level. You have to really knock their socks off.” The mobile channel will help make a splash by becoming a one-stop shop for all kinds of Marvel content. “We want to bring these comics to life.”

Sorrent has created a Ren & Stimpy game (left). For the teen/tween EverGirl brand, Sorrent has developed a breadth of wireless content including wallpaper, mono- and polyphonic ringtones, a WAP destination site and an interactive game. © Sorrent Inc.

Sorrent, which is best known as a mobile gaming company but also provides suites of content around various properties, works with several licensors on programs of varying breadths. With Nickelodeon, it has developed wireless content for the teen/tween EverGirl brand, for which it is doing wallpaper, mono and polyphonic ringtones and a WAP destination site, as well as an interactive game, according to Justin Kubiak, Sorrent’s product marketing manager. For Ren & Stimpy, on the other hand, it created a game only. Sorrent also is working with ShoPro and Viz on the anime property Inuyasha, for which it has created wallpaper and an interactive game.